As the summer warms up, it’s important that we protect and educate our children because excessive exposure to the sun in childhood or adolescence is a major cause of skin cancer and premature skin aging. Exposure to ultraviolet rays also may weaken the immune system.

Minimize the sun’s harmful effects by using sunscreens and sun-protective clothing to protect your children. Understand label information on products and shop carefully. Sunscreens are labeled with a sun protection factor, or SPF. The higher the SPF, the greater the protection, but no sunscreen totally blocks the sun’s rays. To minimize damage:

. Use water-resistant sunscreens that protect skin from both UVA and UVB rays and have SPFs of at least 15.

. Apply sunscreen liberally 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply after swimming, toweling or any activity that causes heavy perspiration.

. Tell camp counselors and others with child care responsibilities to reapply sunscreens after children play hard, perspire or swim.

. Apply sunscreen to children even when they are under an umbrella. The sun’s rays can reflect off concrete or sand.

Sun-protective clothing can help protect children because they have a tighter weave or knit and usually are darker in color. Garments made with these fabrics have a label listing the garment’s ultraviolet protection factor, or UPF, value. The higher the UPF, the greater the UV protection.

The UPF rating indicates how much UV radiation is absorbed by the fabric. A fabric with a UPF rating of 20 allows 1/20 of the sun’s UV radiation to pass through and will reduce exposure by 20 times where skin is protected by the fabric.

Garments with a rating above UPF 50 may be labeled UPF 50+, but these garments may not offer substantially more protection than those with a UPF of 50. Also, a garment should not be labeled “sun-protective” or “UV-protective” if its UPF is less than 15. Sun-protective clothing may lose its effectiveness if it’s too tight, stretched out, damp or wet, or has been washed and worn repeatedly.

To protect children from the sun’s damaging effects:

. Schedule outdoor activities appropriately (the sun is strongest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

. Dress children in hats with brims and tightly woven, long-sleeved shirts and pants with a high UPF.

. Select sunglasses that screen out both UVA and UVB rays which may contribute to the development of cataracts. Close-fitting sunglasses with big lenses offer more protection.

. Keep babies younger than 6 months out of the sun. Sunscreens may irritate baby skin, and an infant’s eyes are especially vulnerable to sunlight.

. Teen-agers who work outside as lifeguards, gardeners or construction workers may be at special risk. Discourage teens from going to tanning parlors. Tanning devices can damage the skin and eyes.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in this country. Medical experts are diagnosing it more often than ever, especially in young people, and believe too much sun exposure in the early years may be responsible.

Two types of skin cancer, basal cell and squamous cell, are treatable if detected early. Basal cell often develops on the face, ears, lips, and around the mouths of fair-skinned people. Squamous cell cancer usually appears as a scaly patch or raised, wartlike growth.

Melanoma, another type of skin cancer, is the most dangerous. It can occur anywhere on the body. Early detection is crucial for successful treatment.

Factors associated with increased risk of skin cancer include: several blistering sunburns as a child or teen-ager; a family history of skin cancer; light-colored skin, hair and eyes; and moles that are irregular in shape or color. To learn more, ask your family doctor or dermatologist.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT/The Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. For help or to request individual or business membership information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.